The Clara Barton Birthplace Museum is open seasonally and by appointment. Guests enjoy a rich learning experience touring Clara's childhood home. Special programs are available for school groups. The museum is also an attractive setting for your organization's next meeting or social event; please contact us to inquire about availability.
Clara maintained a home in Washington, DC during the Civil War and provided relief services to the wounded at many Civil War battle sites. At the war's end, her apartment on Capitol Hill also served as the Office of the Search for Missing Men until 1868.
Clara Barton personally led early relief efforts of the American Red Cross. Her work at sites of natural and man-made disaster convinced the International Red Cross to adopt this idea as the American Amendment to the Treaty of Geneva.
Museum membership offers you an opportunity to learn about the founder of the American Red Cross through tours, educational programs and volunteer activities. Your membership dues help us support ongoing preservation and care of the historic home (circa 1787-1830) and its collections.
The gardens have new additions of historically accurate plants for visitors to view as they approach the entrance to the museum. Members of the Leaders-In-Training (LIT) program at Clara Barton Camp have helped to maintain the garden which has greatly enhanced the appearance of the museum.
Clarissa Harlowe "Clara" Barton was born in a small North Oxford farmhouse on Christmas day 1821. She was raised in the Universalist tradition and attended the Oxford Universalist Church founded by the Rev. Hosea Ballou. A timid, bashful child, Clara grew into a courageous, compassionate leader known the world over for her work as a Civil War battlefield nurse and founder of the American National Red Cross - yet ironically she did not recognize her own selfless bravery. Over 180 years after her birth, the incredible stories of this great humanitarian continue to draw people to Clara Barton's birthplace to learn about her life of boundless mercy and commitment.